Methods for whitening teeth

ABSTRACT

In a tooth whitening method, a whitening composition is applied to at least one tooth. The whitening composition is maintained on the at least one tooth for a first time period. After the first time period, a light radiation is directed toward the at least one tooth for a second time period. The first time period has a duration greater than 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods. The whitening composition is removed from the at least one tooth.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to provisional U.S. App. No. 61/354,926 filed Jun. 15, 2010, the substance of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

This application relates to tooth whitening compositions, products, devices, and methods.

BACKGROUND

Many approaches are used to whiten teeth. One common approach uses abrasives (for example, in toothpastes and prophyaxis pastes) in combination with a polishing action to polish discolorations and stains off of the surface of the teeth. Because abrasives only work on the surface of the teeth, the intrinsic color of the teeth is largely unchanged. As such, abrasives only offer limited effectiveness in whitening of the teeth.

Another approach is the use of chemical whitening actives in a composition to intrinsically and extrinsically whiten teeth. A chemical whitening active is applied to the teeth for a period of time to allow the active to act upon the teeth and provide an improvement in the whiteness of the teeth. Whiteners are commonly applied to the teeth using toothpastes, rinses, gums, floss, tablets, strips and trays. A common chemical whitening active is peroxide. Often, strips and trays are used to apply peroxide for contact times beyond that achievable with typical toothbrushing. Concentration of the whitening active, contact time and number of applications are some of the primary parameters which dictate the rate and amount of whitening achieved with peroxide based tooth whitening compositions. Whitening products using a strip of material in combination with a chemical whitening active are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,891,453 and 5,879,691, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. The whitening composition described therein can include a peroxide active.

Efforts to increase the whitening efficacy of products in order to deliver a more satisfying product experience have included increasing the concentration of peroxide for a faster whitening per time of use. Maintaining the peroxide on the tooth surface for longer contact times and/or for an increased number or frequency of applications have also been employed for increased whitening. While increasing concentration, increasing wear time and increasing number of applications can be effective methods of achieving higher degrees of tooth whitening from a tooth whitening product, each of these parameters also may have a negative impact on the consumer's experience.

Increasing the concentration of the peroxide in the whitening composition, holding all other parameters essentially constant, can produce more tooth sensitivity and cause more soft tissue irritation. Sufficiently high concentrations of peroxide may require a physical barrier, such as a rubber dam, to prevent the peroxide from contacting and burning the soft tissue thereby making the use of the high peroxide concentrations inconvenient and impractical for unsupervised at home and repeated use. In fact, even conventional in-office tooth whitening compositions having a peroxide concentration equivalent to as low as 13% hydrogen peroxide, often utilize a rubber dam to protect the soft tissue during the bleaching process. Increasing the use time and/or frequency generally increases the amount of tooth sensitivity and gingival irritation as well as make the product more inconvenient to use.

SUMMARY

The present application describes a method for whitening teeth using light radiation to photochemically activate a tooth stain for enhanced whitening by a bleaching or oxidizing agent.

Accordingly, in an exemplary tooth whitening method of the present application, a whitening composition is applied to at least one tooth. The whitening composition is maintained on the at least one tooth for a first time period. After the first time period, a light radiation is directed toward the at least one tooth for a second time period. The first time period has a duration greater than about 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods. The whitening composition is removed from the at least one tooth before, during, or after the second time period.

In accordance with another aspect of the present application, an exemplary light enhanced tooth whitening kit includes a strip sized to cover one or more teeth, with the strip including a layer of a tooth whitening composition. The kit further includes a portable light source configured to emit light radiation having an intensity of no greater than about 150 mW/cm².

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a light enhanced tooth whitening kit;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of human dentition, illustrating application of the light enhanced tooth whitening kit of FIG. 1 for treatment of a front surface of a plurality of teeth;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of a tooth of FIG. 2, taken along line 3-3 thereof;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the 1976 CIE LAB color space;

FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating the interplay between whitening efficacy, soft tissue tolerability, peroxide concentration, composition loading and peroxide dosing, according to a non-light enhanced tooth whitening method;

FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the interplay between duration of light radiation treatment and tooth whitening efficacy; and

FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the interplay between intensity of light radiation treatment and tooth whitening efficacy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This Detailed Description merely describes embodiments of the invention and is not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. Indeed, the invention as claimed is broader than and unlimited by the preferred embodiments, and the terms used in the claims have their full ordinary meaning.

Also, while the exemplary embodiments described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings relate to methods of whitening teeth involving treatment with a tooth whitening composition including a peroxide active, it should be understood that many of the inventive aspects described herein may be applied to other tooth whitening methods, including for example methods involving the use of other tooth whitening compositions.

As used herein the phrase “whitening efficacy” is intended to refer to the amount of change in tooth color. The color change can be measured according to the LAB color scale. FIG. 4 illustrates a model of the 1976 CIE LAB color space. The luminance or lightness (L*) value measures brightness and varies from a value of one hundred for perfect white to zero for black assuming a* and b* are zero. The a* value is a measure of redness when positive, gray when zero and greenness when negative. The b* value is a measure of yellowness when positive, gray when zero and blueness when negative. Generally, teeth appear whiter as: the L value increases meaning they become brighter, the a* value increases or decreases depending upon whether the stained teeth have a green or red tint prior to whitening, and the b* value decreases meaning they become less yellow. While this is the general relationship for perceived whitening, the b* value might also slightly increase if the magnitude of the increase of the L* value is large enough. Similarly, the L* value might also decrease if the magnitude of the decrease of the b* value is large enough to overshadow the less significant change in L*. Because the color of actual stained teeth varies by different geographies, whether the a* value increases or decreases for whitening can be geography dependent. For instance, stained teeth have a brown or red tint in the United States while stained teeth have a green tint in China.

A method of measuring tooth color change in-vivo has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240 and ASTM E2466-06, the entire disclosures of which have been incorporated herein by reference. In such a method, a digital camera is used to compare baseline and post-whitening tooth color to RGB color standards imaged to establish calibration set-points. The RGB values are transformed into L*a*b* values after calibration using transformation equations, and the resulting data is used to calculate product whitening performance in terms of changes in L* (luminance), a* (red-green balance), and b* (yellow-blue balance). An overall color change is calculated using the equation ΔE=(ΔL*²+Δa*²+Δb*²)^(1/2).

When ΔL* is positive, Δb* is negative and a* is moving towards zero, ΔE represents an improvement in tooth whiteness. ΔE is a scalar value, and therefore it represents the magnitude of the color change, but not the direction. For that reason, the direction of the changes in the indiviual color components L*, a* and b* must be evaluated to determine whether the ΔE value represents an improvement in tooth whiteness.

Light radiation has been employed in tooth whitening procedures in combination with the application of an oxidizing agent to the teeth. However, the previous use of light radiation in tooth whitening procedures, while increasing tooth whitening efficacy, may produce increased tooth and soft tissue sensitivity and discomfort, or other harmful effects. As one example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,070 describes a method in which a concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide is applied to the teeth, which are then exposed to infrared and ultraviolet light. The infrared light radiation is intended to produce heat to penetrate the outer tooth surface and heat activate the peroxide, while the ultraviolet light is intended to provide direct bleaching of the tooth stains. However, excessive temperature increases in the pulpal tissue may damage teeth and cause sensitivity and discomfort. Further, health hazards associated with exposure to ultraviolet light are also a concern.

Tooth whitening using photoactivation of a radiant energy absorbing substance or photosensitizing agent (for example, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid) applied to a dental patient's teeth has been described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,785,527, 6,162,055, and 6,416,319, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In such examples, the photosensitizing agent may be applied prior to or in combination with an oxidizing agent (for example, hydrogen peroxide), such that light radiation applied to the treated teeth is absorbed by the photosensitizing agent, which in turn activates the oxidizing compound to whiten the teeth. However, inadvertent exposure of a user's soft tissue to the photosensitizing agent may result in irritation and increased sensitivity upon application of the light radiation.

Clinical testing of light radiation enhancement of in-office, high concentration peroxide gel tooth whitening treatments has identified measurable increases in whitening efficacy, as compared to peroxide gel tooth whitening treatments alone. See Gerald Kugel et al., Clinical Trial Assessing Light Enhancement of In-office Tooth Whitening, JOURNAL OF ESTHETIC AND RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY, Oct. 1, 2009, pp. 336-346, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. However, these increases in tooth whitening efficacy were accompanied by significant increases in tooth sensitivity. In the clinical test, six of the eleven test subjects treated with peroxide gel and light radiation reported moderate to severe tooth pain, with three of the test subjects discontinuing treatment due to severe tooth pain. By comparison, only three of the eleven test subjects treated with peroxide gel without light radiation reported moderate pain, with none of these test subjects experiencing severe pain. It is not known whether a photosensitizing agent was included in the peroxide gel that was used, nor is it known whether such use of a photosensitizing agent in the peroxide gel, combined with the prolonged light treatment, may have contributed to the significant increase in tooth sensitivity.

In other examples, a light radiation may be selected to activate the tooth stains directly, without the use of a photosensitizing agent, to enhance bleaching by an oxidizing compound. Light having a wavelength selected to correspond with a tooth chromogen (or stain) molecule absorption wavelength may be applied to the teeth to activate the stain molecules for oxidation by the oxidizing compound. In such an example, the light radiation may not activate or affect the oxidizing compound. The oxidizing compound may be provided as a transparent or translucent material to allow the light radiation to reach the treated teeth. Absorption of the light radiation by the stain “activates” the stain by promoting electron activity or reactivity, such that a bleaching agent applied to the stain more effectively oxidizes the stain, thereby removing a greater portion of the stain, as compared to oxidation by a bleaching agent of a stain that has not been activated by this light radiation.

Even without a photosensitizing agent, exposure of the gums and other soft tissue to the light radiation may cause some activation of this tissue. This may result in increased sensitivity and irritation when the same tissue is exposed to higher concentrations of peroxide or some other oxidizing agent.

According to an inventive aspect of the present application, application of light radiation to teeth treated with a tooth whitening composition having an oxidizing agent may be limited to a delayed or final portion of the total duration of exposure of the teeth to the tooth whitening composition. By limiting the light radiation to just a portion of the entire duration of the treatment, irritation and sensitivity of the teeth and soft tissue exposed to the oxidizing agent may be reduced. Additionally, temperature increases within the user's mouth may also be reduced. Further, by limiting light radiation to a final portion of the entire duration of treatment, the application of light is provided during a period at which absorption of the oxidizing agent into the teeth is maximized, and dissipation of the oxidizing agent away from the soft tissue (for example, by dissolution into the user's saliva) has occurred. As still another benefit, the application of light radiation for a reduced period of time reduces the duration of an open mouth or retracted lip condition, thereby reducing the soreness and oral dehydration associated with these conditions.

Accordingly, a predetermined duration of tooth whitening treatment is divided into two time periods: a delay or first time period and a light radiation or second time period. During the delay period, a chemical whitening composition is maintained on a user's teeth without the application of light radiation. During a subsequent second time period (the light radiation period), light radiation is applied to the teeth. The light radiation may be applied through a translucent chemical whitening composition (and any corresponding translucent carrier for the composition, such as a tray or adhesive strip). In another embodiment, the tooth whitening composition (and any corresponding carrier) may be removed from the teeth after the delay period and before the light radiation period, as described in greater detail below, or during the light radiation period. In one embodiment, the delay period is greater than the light radiation period, or greater than 50% of a total duration of the delay and light radiation periods, such that the teeth are exposed to light radiation for less than half of the entire duration of the tooth whitening treatment. The delay period may also be greater than about 60%, greater than about 70%, greater than about 80%, greater than about 90%, greater than about 95%, or greater than about 96%, or greater than about 97%, or greater than about 98%, or greater than about 99%, or greater than about 99.5%, or greater than about 99.9%, or between about 80% and about 90% of the total duration of the delay and light radiation periods.

The delay period, light radiation period, and total duration of the delay and light radiation periods may be selected from a variety of suitable numbers and ranges. For example, the delay period may range from about 2 minutes to about 480 minutes, or from about 5 minutes to about 55 minutes, or from about 15 minutes to about 25 minutes. In another embodiment, the delay period may be at least 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, or 60 minutes, but less than 480, 120, 90, 60, 50, 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or 2 minutes.

The light radiation period may range for example from about 3 seconds to about 30 minutes, or from about 30 seconds to about 10 minutes, or from about 2 minutes to about 5 minutes. In another embodiment, the light radiation period may be at least 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, or 60 seconds, 2, 3, 4, minutes but less than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 minutes, 50, 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, or 5 seconds.

The total duration of the delay and light radiation periods may range for example from about 4 minutes to about 500 minutes, or from about 10 minutes to about 60 minutes, or from about 15 minutes to about 30 minutes. In another embodiment, the total duration may be at least 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, 180, or 240 minutes, but less than 500, 480, 420, 360, 300, 240, 80, 120, 90, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, or 15 minutes. In some applications, a tooth whitening composition and carrier may be designed for overnight use, such that a relatively long delay period (for example, between about 360 minutes and about 480 minutes) occurs while the user is sleeping.

Thus, in varying embodiments, the total duration may be at least 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 90, 120, 180, or 240 minutes, but less than 500, 480, 420, 360, 300, 240, 80, 120, 90, 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, or 15 minutes; combined with a light radiation period of at least 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, or 60 seconds, 2, 3, 4, minutes but less than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 minutes, 50, 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, or 5 seconds; further combined with a delay period of at least 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, or 60 minutes, but less than 480, 120, 90, 60, 50, 40, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, or 2 minutes.

Additionally, the tooth whitening process may include a third time period or second delay period after the light radiation period, during which the tooth whitening composition remains on the teeth without light treatment prior to removal. This second delay period may range for example from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes.

In one exemplary tooth whitening method, an approximately thirty minute tooth whitening treatment includes an approximately twenty-five minute delay period and an approximately five minute light radiation period. In another exemplary tooth whitening method, an approximately thirty minute tooth whitening treatment includes an approximately twenty-nine and one-half minute delay period and a light radiation period of approximately 30 seconds.

Other exemplary tooth whitening regimens are listed in Table 1 below:

TABLE 1 Exemplary Delay and Light Radiation Periods for Tooth Whitening Treatments Delay Period Light Period Total % Delay (mins) (mins) (mins) Period 2 2 4 50.00 4 2 6 66.67 10 3 13 76.92 10 0.5 10.5 95.24 15 3 18 83.33 15 0.5 15.5 96.77 15 5 20 75.00 20 0.5 20.5 97.56 20 1 21 95.24 20 3 23 86.96 20 5 25 80.00 25 0.05 25.05 99.80 25 0.5 25.5 98.04 25 1 26 96.15 25 3 28 89.29 25 5 30 83.33 25 10 35 71.43 30 0.05 30.05 99.83 30 0.5 30.5 98.36 30 1 31 96.77 30 3 33 90.91 30 5 35 85.71 30 10 40 75.00 60 0.05 60.05 99.92 60 0.5 60.5 99.17 60 5 65 92.31 120 0.5 120.5 99.59 120 5 125 96.00 120 10 130 92.31 120 60 180 66.67 360 0.5 360.5 99.86 360 5 365 98.63 360 10 370 97.30 480 0.5 480.5 99.90 480 5 485 98.97 480 10 490 97.96 480 20 500 96.00

The durations of the delay and light radiation periods of the tooth whitening treatment may be selected based on several factors. For example, the delay period may be selected to allow the oxidizing or bleaching agent sufficient time to reach the tooth stains below the outer surfaces of the teeth before light activation of the stains. In one such embodiment, a delay period sufficient for absorption of an effective amount of peroxide into the teeth is selected for delaying the application of light radiation until a period of increased effectiveness. Because the applied light radiation activates the tooth stains directly, as enhanced by the absorbed oxidizing agent, the residual tooth whitening composition on the surface of the teeth (and any tooth whitening composition carrier) may be removed from the teeth at the end of the delay period and prior to the application of light radiation. In one such tooth whitening process, the carrier and/or the tooth whitening composition may be provided in a non-transparent, non-translucent, or opaque material, as the carrier and/or tooth whitening composition will have been removed prior to light treatment. The ability to use non-transparent, non-translucent, or opaque materials may increase the number of types of materials that may be used for the carrier and tooth whitening composition. Additionally, in some applications, the use of non-transparent, non-translucent, or opaque materials for the tooth whitening composition or carrier may prevent the irritation or sensitivity that may otherwise result from a combination of light radiation and excessive amounts of tooth whitening composition on the teeth and soft tissues.

As another example, the delay period may be selected to allow bleaching agent on the soft tissue surrounding the treated teeth to dissipate or be diluted (for example, by saliva) prior to any application of light radiation. This may reduce any soft tissue irritation that may otherwise result from a combination of light radiation and bleaching agent on the soft tissue. In one such embodiment, a time period sufficient to reduce a peroxide concentration at the soft tissue to below a threshold concentration is selected for delaying the application of light radiation until a period of reduced susceptibility to soft tissue irritation. For example, the selected time period may be sufficient to reduce a peroxide (or other bleaching agent) concentration to less than about 2% (weight for weight), less than about 1%, less than about 0.5%, less than about 0.25%, less than about 0.1%, less than about 0.05%, less than about 0.025%, less than about 0.0125% or less than about 0.005%.

The duration of the light radiation period of the tooth whitening treatment may be selected to increase whitening efficacy while minimizing tooth and soft tissue sensitivity. Clinical testing, as described in Example I below, has shown greater increases in luminance (ΔL*) and yellowness reduction (Δb*), as compared to treatment without light enhancement, as the light radiation period is increased at the conclusion of treatment. One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional testing may be performed using a greater range of delay periods and light radiation periods in conjunction with any suitable tooth whitening composition, to determine an appropriate delay period of a total time period and an appropriate light radiation period of the total time period, to provide increased whitening efficacy while minimizing tooth and soft tissue sensitivity, in accordance with the present application.

While a minimum light intensity may be required to activate tooth stains for enhanced whitening, according to an aspect of the present application, variations in light intensity above a required threshold may have minimal impact on whitening efficacy. Clinical testing, as described in Example II below, has shown that while light intensities as low as approximately 41.5 mW/cm² (corresponding to light emitted from a Lite-ON Technology Corp. LED part # LTL1CHTBK5 BIN: QBOY 470 nm supplied with about 10 mA of current) resulted in significant improvements in increased luminance and reduced yellowness (as compared to treatment without light enhancement), increasing light intensity to as much as approximately 134.7 mW/cm² (corresponding to light emitted from the above referenced Lite-ON Technology Corp. LED supplied with about 50 mA of current) resulted in only marginal improvements in whitening efficacy. This suggests that low intensity (at least as low as about 41.5 mW/cm²) light is sufficient to activate the tooth stains to an elevated quantum energy level, while the increased intensity (at least as high as about 134.7 mW/cm²) light is insufficient to elevate the tooth stains to the next quantum energy level for greater activation.

The effectiveness of low intensity light radiation treatment may facilitate home use of the light enhanced tooth whitening process, as self-application of the low intensity light radiation would likely be safe for adult use. For example, low intensity light radiation is less likely to result in increased temperatures at the teeth or in the mouth, and is less likely to cause oral dehydration. The use of low intensity light also reduces the risk of damage to the eyes. In-home application of a low-intensity light enhanced tooth whitening treatment may be further facilitated by use of a tooth whitening composition and carrier that provides for controlled dosing of a bleaching agent without requiring isolation of the surrounding soft tissue. Examples of suitable tooth whitening products include the strip-based tooth whitening products described in the incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240.

Accordingly, a light enhanced tooth whitening kit 10 for home use may be provided, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. The kit 10 may include a translucent strip 14 sized to cover one or more teeth 22, with the strip including a layer 12 of a translucent tooth whitening composition disposed on a surface 28 of the strip 14. The kit 10 further includes a portable light source 25 (for example, a flashlight) configured to emit light radiation having a maximum energy output of about 10,000 millicandelas (mcd) or a maximum intensity of about 150 mW/cm², or some other maximum energy output or intensity that is safe for use near the eyes yet sufficient to activate the tooth stains. The portable light source may be held against the tooth whitening composition carrier or directly against the teeth (for example, if the carrier has been removed prior to light radiation treatment). The portable light source may also be held at a suitable distance from the teeth, such as for example between about 0.5 cm and about 3 cm or approximately 2 cm. The resulting light intensity to which the teeth are exposed will depend on the distance of the light source from the teeth and the energy output of the light source. Exemplary ranges of light intensity at the teeth during the light radiation period of a light enhanced tooth whitening process include for example between about 0.05 mW/cm² and about 200 mW/cm², between about 0.1 mW/cm² and about 180 mW/cm², between about 1 mW/cm² and about 160 mW/cm², between about 5 mW/cm² and about 140 mW/cm², between about 10 mW/cm² and about 120 mW/cm², between about 20 mW/cm² and about 100 mW/cm², between about 30 mW/cm² and about 80 mW/cm², and between about 40 mW/cm² and about 60 mW/cm². In other examples, light intensity at the teeth during the light radiation period of a light enhanced tooth whitening process may be between about 40 mW/cm² and about 140 mW/cm², or approximately 42 mW/cm², or approximately 108 mW/cm², or approximately 135 mW/cm².

The portable light source may optionally include a timer for indicating starting or stopping points for the delay period and/or the light radiation period, and may be configured to limit the emission of light radiation to the latter period. In another embodiment, a tooth whitening composition carrier may be provided with a portable light source (for example, one or more LED chips) disposed on or in the carrier, such that light may be directed onto the teeth by the carrier. In one such example, the carrier may further include a timer circuit that delays illumination of the portable light source for a predetermined delay period, and then illuminates the teeth for a predetermined light radiation period.

The light source 25 utilized for the light enhanced tooth whitening treatment may be selected to provide light radiation at a wavelength that is best absorbed by the tooth stains. The light radiation may be selected to be at a wavelength corresponding to a light color diametrically opposite the stain color, as identified for example on the 1976 CIE LAB color scale (see FIG. 4). By utilizing a diametrically opposite light color, absorption of the light by the stain may be increased or enhanced. For example, yellow stains (as commonly present on teeth to be whitened) may better absorb blue light (approximately 380-520 nm). As such, the light source may be selected to provide light radiation at a wavelength of about 400 nm to about 520 nm, or about 440 nm to about 490 nm, or an average wavelength of approximately 440 nm, or approximately 450 nm, or approximately 460 nm, or approximately 470 nm, or approximately 480 nm, or approximately 490 nm. As another example, green stains may better absorb red light, such as for example light having a wavelength of about 600 nm to about 780 nm. As such, a light source for use in whitening green stains may be selected to provide light radiation at a wavelength of about 600 nm to about 780 nm, or about 680 nm to about 720 nm, or an average wavelength of approximately 680 nm, or approximately 690 nm, or approximately 700 nm, or approximately 710 nm, or approximately 720 nm.

Additionally or alternatively, the tooth whitening composition or carrier (for example, a tray or strip) may be configured to shade, filter, or otherwise block undesirable light intensities and wavelengths, thereby adapting the light radiation from the light source that reaches the tooth stain to be within desired ranges of intensity and wavelength. For example, a tooth whitening composition carrier may be provided in a translucent material selected to block up to about 30% of light, or up to about 50% of light, or up to about 70% of light. As another example, a tooth whitening composition carrier may be provided in a translucent material selected to block light having a wavelength greater than about 780 nm, or greater than about 700 nm, or greater than about 520 nm, or less than about 300 nm, or less than about 380 nm.

Many different tooth whitening compositions and application methods may be utilized in combination with the light radiation treatment described above. For example, peroxide based tooth whitening compositions with varying concentrations of peroxide may be provided. Other additives may also be provided in the composition, including for example photosensitizing agents, gelling agents, humectants, pH adjusting agents, stabilizing agents, desensitizing agents, and accelerating agents or bleach activators. The composition may be provided in the form of a viscous liquid, paste, gel, solution, or any other state or phase that may be applied to the teeth. Further, the tooth whitening composition may be applied directly to the teeth, or may be contained by a tray placed over the teeth or provided on a strip of flexible material configured to be applied to the tooth surfaces to be whitened. Examples of such tooth whitening compositions and application methods are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240, and U.S. Application Publication No. 2003/0152528, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Several factors may be considered in selecting an appropriate whitening composition and application method, including for example whitening efficacy, soft tissue tolerability, peroxide concentration, and whitening composition loading. Generally, in non-light enhanced tooth whitening applications, as peroxide concentration increases, whitening efficacy increases as shown by the upward slope of the efficacy curves of the graph of FIG. 5, described in greater detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240. Additionally, soft tissue tolerability decreases as peroxide concentration increases, as shown by the downward slope of the tolerability curves of the graph of FIG. 5. From this family of curves, it will be appreciated that it is possible to maintain acceptable soft tissue tolerability while increasing whitening efficacy by increasing the peroxide concentration to relatively high levels if there is an appropriate decrease in composition loading. Stated another way, it is possible to increase the concentration of the peroxide active to achieve improved whitening efficacy while maintaining acceptable soft tissue tolerability, without the use of artificial barriers, by properly selecting the composition loading. This relationship can also be characterized by a parameter, peroxide density, which is the ratio of the amount of peroxide active or peroxide dose (mg) to the surface area (cm²) of the thin layer that is applied to the tooth surfaces and adjacent soft tissue of the oral cavity. This surface area may be different than the “exposed surface area” and/or “unexposed surface area,” as discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240.

In one embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240, so long as the peroxide density is less than about 1.3 mg peroxide/cm², there can be an acceptable tradeoff between soft tissue tolerability and whitening efficacy for peroxide concentrations greater than at least about 7.5%. While extremely high peroxide concentrations can be surprisingly utilized, generally it is desirable to utilize peroxide concentrations less than 60% and, even more desirable to have a peroxide density less than about 1.3 mg/cm² for tooth whitening applications, because the soft tissue tolerability is acceptable to very good. This controlled peroxide density may likewise limit tooth and soft tissue sensitivity in light enhanced peroxide treatments, as described herein.

In other embodiments, the peroxide density is less than about 1.2 mg/cm², or less than about 1.1 mg/cm², or less than about 1 mg/cm², or less than about 0.75 mg/cm², or less than about 0.5 mg/cm², and/or greater than about 0.01 mg/cm², or greater than about 0.1 mg/cm², or greater than about 0.25 mg/cm², or greater than about 0.5 mg/cm² in combination with a peroxide concentration greater than about 7.5%, or greater than about 8%, or greater than about 10%, or greater than about 12%, or greater than about 16%, or greater than about 20%, and/or less than about 40%, or less than about 35%, or less than about 30%, or less than about 20%. The peroxide active can be any form that liberates peroxide either by solubilization or hydration. All peroxide active concentrations expressed herein are for hydrogen peroxide and appropriate conversions must be made for other peroxide liberating molecules such as carbamide peroxide, calcium peroxide and sodium percarbonate, etc. Some other peroxide actives suitable for use with the present invention include calcium peroxide, carbamide peroxide, sodium percarbonate, benzoyl peroxide and mixtures thereof. A method for determining the concentration of the peroxide active is set forth in the incorporated disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240.

The total amount of the tooth whitening composition that is delivered to the oral cavity will vary depending upon the size of the strip of material 12 and the concentration of the peroxide active. Generally, greater than about 0.0002 gram of tooth whitening composition is provided with the present invention, or greater than about 0.005 gm, or greater than about 0.01 gm, or greater than about 0.015 gm, or greater than about 0.02 gm, or greater than about 0.025 gm, or greater than about 0.05 gm, or greater than about 0.075 gm, or greater than about 0.1 gm, or greater than about 0.15 gm, or greater than about 0.2 gm and/or less than about 0.3 gm, or less than about 0.2 gm, or less than about 0.15 gm, or less than about 0.1 gm, or less than about 0.05 gm, or less than about 0.025 gm, or less than about 0.001 gm.

The tooth whitening composition loading may be greater than about 0.0005 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.001 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.002 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.0025 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.005 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.0075 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.01 gm/cm², or greater than about 0.015 gm/cm², and/or less than about 0.03 gm/cm², or less than about 0.02 gm/cm², or less than about 0.015 gm/cm², or less than about 0.01 gm/cm², or less than about 0.005 gm/cm², or less than about 0.001 gm/cm².

As previously discussed, the tooth whitening composition contains a peroxide active and is provided in a thin layer 12 on a strip of material 14. In order to achieve the previously described composition loadings at the higher peroxide concentrations, the thin layer 12 of tooth whitening composition that is applied to the oral cavity may have a thickness less than about 0.3 mm, or less than about 0.2 mm, or less than about 0.15 mm, or less than about 0.1 mm, or less than about 0.06 mm, or less than about 0.03 mm, or less than about 0.001 mm and/or greater than about 0.0002 mm, or greater than about 0.004 mm, or greater than about 0.008 mm, or greater than about 0.016 mm, or greater than about 0.018 mm, or greater than about 0.02 mm, or greater than about 0.1 mm, or greater than about 0.15 mm. These measurements are taken by measuring from the surface 28 (FIG. 1) of the strip of material 14 and up through the thin layer 12 of tooth whitening composition.

The peroxide dose, which is the total amount of the peroxide active within the thin layer of the tooth whitening composition that is applied to the oral cavity, is less than about 100 mg, or less than about 95 mg, or less than about 85 mg, or less than about 80 mg, or less than about 40 mg, or less than about 20 mg, or less than about 15 mg, or less than about 12 mg, or less than about 10 mg, or less than about 5 mg, or less than about 1 mg, and/or greater than about 0.1 mg, or greater than about 0.3 mg, or greater than about 0.6 mg, or greater than about 1 mg, or greater than about 1.5 mg, or greater than about 2 mg, or greater than about 10 mg.

While it is desirable for the thin layer 12 of the tooth whitening composition to be a homogeneous, uniform and continuous layer, the thin layer 12 may also be non-uniform, non-continuous, and/or heterogeneous. For example, the thin layer 12 can be a laminate or separated layers of components, an amorphous mixture of components, separate stripes or spots or other patterns of different components, or a combination of these structures.

The tooth whitening composition of the present invention can be provided in the form of a viscous liquid, paste, gel, solution, or any other suitable state or phase. The tooth whitening composition can be provided in the form of a gel with a viscosity between about 200 and about 1,000,000 cps at low shear rates (approximately one seconds⁻¹). In another embodiment, the viscosity is between about 100,000 and about 800,000 cps or between about 150,000 and about 700,000 cps. In yet another embodiment, the viscosity is between about 300,000 and about 700,000 cps.

As known in the art, the tooth whitening composition also has a yield stress. Yield stress is the amount of force on a material before the material begins to move. The yield stress must be high enough so that the tooth whitening composition is able to form a thin layer and also to handle the disturbances caused by manufacturing, handling, and storage. The yield stress of the tooth whitening composition is between about 2 Pascals and about 3000 Pascals, preferably between about 20 Pascals and about 2000 Pascals, more preferably between about 200 Pascals and about 1500 Pascals, and most preferably between about 200 Pascals and about 400 Pascals.

Additional constituents of the tooth whitening composition can include, but are not limited to, water, gelling agents, humectants, pH adjusting agents, stabilizing agents, desensitizing agents, and accelerating agents or bleach activators. In addition to the above materials, a number of other materials can also be added to the substance. Additional materials include, but are not limited to, flavoring agents, sweetening agents such as saccharin, xylitol, opacifiers, coloring agents, and chelants such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. These additional ingredients can also be used in place of the compounds disclosed above. Use of these additives and additional materials is described in greater detail in the incorporated disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,949,240.

EXAMPLE I

A randomized, parallel, split-mouth design clinical trial is conducted on thirty-five adults with a Vita Shade tooth color of A2+ who had not undergone tooth bleaching treatments in the previous two years and had no tooth sensitivity. The subjects are randomly assigned to one of six sequences that designate which side of the mouth and treatment they receive. Each subject uses a 10% hydrogen peroxide marketed whitening strip (CREST WHITESTRIPS PREMIUM) on their maxillary teeth for 30 minutes once a day for seven days. One of the lateral incisors is treated with an LED light source (Lite-ON Technology Corporation, 720 South Hillview Drive, Milpitas, Calif. 95035, part # LTL1CHTBK5 BIN: QBOY 470 nm) having an intensity of about 134.7 mW/cm² (resulting from a current of about 50 mA supplied to the LED) and an average wavelength of 468 nm for 3, 30 or 300 seconds at the end of the 30 minute strip wear time according to the randomization schedule. The other lateral incisor is treated without light enhancement to establish a control measurement. Digital images are collected at initial screening, on the fourth day of the treatment (“Day 4”), and the day after completion of the treatment (“Day 8”).

Treatment groups are balanced with respect to the demographics and baseline (pre-treatment) tooth color. Each treatment (including “strip only” control treatments) results in significant (p<0.02) reduction of b* and L* color parameters relative to baseline at each study visit. The 300 second light treatment results in significantly greater yellowness reduction (Δb*), increased luminance (Δb*), and resultant color change (ΔE) relative to the corresponding control measurement, as shown in Table 2 below, with 97% greater luminance increase and 69% greater yellowness reduction at Day 8.

TABLE 2 Day 8 Tooth Whitening Efficacy with Five Minute Light Radiation Treatment Treatment Delta L* Delta a* Delta b* Delta E* Light 1.68 −0.54 −1.81 2.54 No Light 0.85 −0.47 −1.07 1.72 % Difference 97% 15% 69% 48% p-value 0.047 0.46 0.002 0.031

The 30 second light treatment also results in significantly greater yellowness reduction relative to the corresponding control measurement, with 27% greater yellowness reduction at Day 8. All treatments are well-tolerated, with no subjects discontinuing treatment because of tooth pain or oral irritation.

End-of-treatment (Day 8) results for Δb* for all three treatment times are shown in Table 3 below:

TABLE 3 Day 8 Yellowness Reduction with Varying Light Radiation Times Adjusted mean change Change from Control based Treatment from Baseline on adjusted means  3 sec light + strip −0.89 0.22  30 sec light + strip −1.50 −0.28 300 sec light + strip −1.66 −0.82

The relationship between exposure time and Δb* change from control based on adjusted means is illustrated in the graph shown in FIG. 6.

EXAMPLE II

A randomized, parallel, split-mouth design clinical trial is conducted on thirty-five adults with a Vita Shade tooth color of A2+ who had not undergone tooth bleaching treatments in the previous two years and had no tooth sensitivity. The subjects are randomly assigned to one of six sequences that designate which side of the mouth and treatment they receive. Each subject used a 10% hydrogen peroxide marketed whitening strip (CREST WHITESTRIPS PREMIUM) on their maxillary teeth for 30 minutes once a day for ten days. One of the lateral incisors is treated with light radiation having an average wavelength of 468 nm and an intensity of approximately 41.5 mW/cm², approximately 108 mW/cm², or approximately 134.7 mW/cm² (corresponding to light emitted from the LTL1CHTBK5 BIN: QBOY 470 nm LED, described above, when in contact with the whitening strip and supplied with about 10 mA, 25 mA, and 50 mA of current, respectively) for five minutes at the end of the 30 minute strip wear time. The other lateral incisor is treated without light enhancement to establish a control measurement. Digital images are collected at initial screen, on the fourth day of the treatment (“Day 4”), on the eighth day of the treatment (“Day 8”), and the day after completion of the treatment (“Day 11”).

Treatment groups are balanced with respect to the demographics and baseline (pre-treatment) tooth color. Each treatment (including “strip only” control treatments) results in significant (p<0.04) reduction of yellowness (b*) as early as Day 4 and increased lightness (L*) at Day 11 of the study. All light enhanced peroxide strip treatments demonstrate significantly (p<0.0001) greater yellowness reduction (Δb*) relative to their corresponding controls at each study visit. The ΔL* parameters are not significantly different between the treatment groups. No significant differences are observed between the 41.5 mW/cm², 108 mW/cm², and 134.7 mW/cm² light treatments. All treatments are well-tolerated, with only two of the thirty-five total subjects reporting tooth sensitivity and two of the total subjects reporting oral irritation.

End-of-treatment (Day 11) results for Δb* are shown in Table 4 below:

TABLE 4 Day 11 Yellowness Reduction with Varying Light Radiation Intensity Adjusted mean change Change from Control based Treatment from Baseline on adjusted means 10 mA light + strip −1.96 −1.07 25 mA light + strip −2.55 −1.11 50 mA light + strip −2.41 −1.19

The differences in yellowness reduction (Δb*) between the varying light intensity enhanced treatments and the control (peroxide strip only) measurements at the end of treatment, expressed in percent improvement, are illustrated in the graph shown in FIG. 7.

The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension disclosed as “40 mm” is intended to mean “about 40 mm.”

Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it is prior art with respect to any invention disclosed or claimed herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such invention. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall govern.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention. 

I claim:
 1. A method of whitening teeth, comprising: applying a whitening composition as a layer having a thickness less than about 0.3 mm to at least one tooth; maintaining the whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period without an application of light radiation; and after the first time period while the whitening composition remains upon the at least one tooth, directing a light radiation toward the at least one tooth for a second time period, the first time period having a duration greater than 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods; and removing the whitening composition from the at least one tooth; wherein the whitening composition is translucent and is applied to said at least one tooth by a translucent strip or tray, and wherein said light radiation is directed toward said tooth through said translucent strip or tray and through said translucent whitening composition; and wherein the radiation intensity is no greater than about 150 mW/cm².
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the first time period is at least 80% of the total duration of the first and second time periods.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light radiation is selected for absorption by a stain on the at least one tooth by selecting a wavelength corresponding to a color substantially opposite a color of the stain on the 1976 CIE LAB color scale.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light radiation is provided at a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein no photosensitizing agent is applied to the at least one tooth.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the total duration of the first and second time periods is up to about 60 minutes, and the second time period is no greater than 5 minutes.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the whitening composition comprises a layer that is applied to the tooth such that the whitening composition has a peroxide density less than about 1.3 mg/cm².
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the whitening composition comprises a peroxide active having a concentration between about 7.5% and about 20% of the whitening composition.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth in a layer having a thickness less than about 0.2 mm.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the whitening composition is provided on a strip of material configured to block light waves having a frequency of greater than about 700 nm.
 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining the whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a third time period after the second time period.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the tooth whitening composition does not include a photosensitizing agent.
 13. A method of whitening teeth, consisting of: applying a translucent whitening composition including a peroxide active having a concentration between about 7.5% and about 20% to at least one tooth in a layer having a thickness less than about 0.3 mm and a peroxide density less than about 1.3 mg/cm²; maintaining the whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period of about 25 minutes to about 29.5 minutes without an application of light radiation; and after the first time period, directing a light radiation provided at a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm and an intensity of no greater than about 45 mW/cm² toward the at least one tooth for a second time period of about 0.5 minutes to about 5 minutes while the whitening composition remains upon the at least one tooth; and removing the whitening composition from the at least one tooth.
 14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the translucent whitening composition is applied to said at least one tooth from a translucent strip, and the light radiation is directed onto said tooth through said translucent strip and through said translucent composition.
 15. A method of whitening teeth, comprising: applying a whitening composition as a layer having a thickness less than about 0.3 mm to at least one tooth; maintaining the whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period without an application of light radiation; and after the first time period removing the whitening composition from the at least one tooth, and directing light radiation toward the at least one tooth for a second time period, the first time period having a duration greater than 50% of a total duration of the first and second time periods, wherein the radiation intensity is no greater than about 150 MW/cm².
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the duration of the first time period is at least 80% of the total duration of the first and second time periods.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the light radiation is selected for absorption by a stain on the at least one tooth by selecting a wavelength corresponding to a color substantially opposite a color of the stain on the 1976 CIE LAB color scale.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein the light radiation is provided at a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm.
 19. The method of claim 15, wherein no photosensitizing agent is applied to the at least one tooth.
 20. The method of claim 15, wherein the whitening composition comprises a layer that is applied to the tooth such that the whitening composition has a peroxide density less than about 1.3 mg/cm².
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the whitening composition comprises a peroxide active having a concentration between about 7.5% and about 20% of the whitening composition.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the whitening composition is applied to the at least one tooth from a strip, said composition being in a layer having a thickness less than about 0.2 mm.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the total duration of the first and second time periods is up to about 60 minutes, and the second time period is no greater than 5 minutes.
 24. A method of whitening teeth, consisting of: applying a whitening composition including a peroxide active having a concentration between about 7.5% and about 20% to at least one tooth in a layer having a thickness less than about 0.3 mm and a peroxide density less than about 1.3 mg/cm²; maintaining the whitening composition on the at least one tooth for a first time period of about 25 minutes to about 29.5 minutes without an application of light radiation; and after the first time period, removing said whitening composition and directing a light radiation provided at a wavelength between about 440 nm and about 490 nm and an intensity of no greater than about 45 mW/cm² toward the at least one tooth for a second time period of about 0.5 minutes to about 5 minutes.
 25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the whitening composition is applied to said at least one tooth from a strip. 